Stepp, Forster and Howell Headline Men’s At-Large All-Decade Team

Posted: Nov 23, 2020

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman's first ever NCAA Division II National Champion Tanner Stepp, four-time All-SAC Men's Golfer Tom Forster and four-time All-BMC swimmer Caleb Howell headline the all-decade men's at-large team.

Track & Field won their first national championship in 41 years with Stepp winning the 2018 NCAA Division II Indoor High Jump. The men's team also had 20 All-Americans and set 25 new school records in indoor and outdoor track and field.

Cross Country had their first All-American at the Division II level in Luke Greer in 2018 and first All-American at any level since 1993. Greer finished eighth at the 2018 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship.

Swimming was added in 2013 as one of the newest sports in Carson-Newman history, and has been dominate at home with a 24-5 record in the MSAC Pool. The men's side won five individual Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships and had several members compete at the 2018 Division II National Championships in Indianapolis in just their fifth season of competition.

This decade, men's golf had 17 All-SAC selections and two SAC Freshmen of the Year Award winners. The team flexed their dominance in the South Atlantic Conference, winning the 2014, 2017 and 2018 SAC Conference Championships.

Tanner Stepp was named the captain of the all-decade men's at-large team. Stepp made history as the first ever NCAA DII National Champion in any sport at Carson-Newman and first national champion in track & field in 41 years winning the 2018 National Championship in Men's Indoor High Jump. The four-time All-American and four-time All-Southeast Region member won the 2018 SAC Indoor and Outdoor Championship in High Jump, with his jump of 2.10 meters setting the new SAC Championship Meet record. Stepp holds the school record in outdoor high jump at 2.13 meters and the school record in indoor high jump with his national championship jump of 2.17 meters.

Tom Forster was one of the most prolific golfers in school history. The Northhamptonshire, England native's list of accolades includes being named a four-time All-SAC First Team member, the 2017 SAC Freshman of the Year, a three-time PING/GCAA All-American, three-time PING/GCAA All-Southeast Region, and was a 2019 Jack Nicklaus Award semifinalist. His tie for 15^th at NCAA South/Southeast Regional made him first C-N men's golfer to advance to national final since 2008. Forster holds the best career-scoring average in program history with a 71.8 and 13 Top-5 finishes. He held all four of the top spots for best single-season scoring average for the program by the end of his career. Forster won 2019 UNG Fall Invitational with a 201, the 2^nd lowest 54-hole score in SAC history. Forster was a member of 2017 and 2018 SAC Championship teams and was named 2017 SAC Freshman of the Year. His 2018 score of 211 is the 4th lowest score in SAC Championship history, earning him the 2018 SAC Tournament Top Medalist. Forster is also one of only two SAC men's golfers to ever be named to the All-Nicklaus Team, doing so in 2019.

Caleb Howell is one of the most accomplished swimmers in the short history of the Carson-Newman swimming program. The four-time All-BMC winner was also a four-time BMC Champion. Howell holds several school records, with record breaking times in the male 400 IM at 3:50.98, the male 200 IM at 1:45.90, and the male 200-yard breaststroke at 1:57.05. He is also a member of school record male 800 freestyle relay team with Matthew George, Nikola Tadic and Raphael Lima with a time of 6:35.40 and is a member of the school record male 400 medley relay team with Andrei Ungur, Ivo Kunzle and Chad Andoljsek with a time of 3:12.50. Howell holds the fourth fastest time in school history in male 50 yard backstroke with a time of 23.03 seconds, the male 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:38.39, and the male 100 yard butterfly with a time of 48.77. Howell holds the fifth-fastest time in the male 100 yard backstroke with a time of 50.08 seconds. Howell was named an All-American in 2019-20 after finishing eighth in 200-yard individual medley at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Current cross country head coach Luke Greer was the first eagle to earn All-American Honors in cross country at the Division II level. The two-time All-SAC member won four career meets and finished with back-to-back second place finishes at 2017 and 2018 SAC Cross Country Championships. Greer finished eighth at 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships and set school record in 8K and 10K his senior season, along with finishing in the top 10 at every event he competed in that year.

In track and field, Greer won SAC Championships in the outdoor 5K and outdoor 10K and was named 2019 SAC Outdoor Men's Track Athlete of the Meet. He also won the 2019 SAC Championship in the indoor 3K and indoor 5K. Greer holds the school record in outdoor 5K with time of 14:18.64 and in the outdoor 10K with time of 29:49.31. Greer also holds school records in the indoor 800 meter dash with a time of 1:56.22, the indoor 1600 meter run with a time of 4:17.64, the indoor 3K with time of 8:27.59 and holds the school and conference record in indoor 5K with time of 14:16.82. He is also a member of the school record indoor men's distance medley relay team with Brandon McKinley, Caleb Agee, and Christian Stumpf with time of 10:22.73.

Andrew Hall set one of the most impressive conference records ever for men's golf, winning the 2015 St. Leo's Men's Invitational with a score of 202 (-14), at the time the best score for three rounds in SAC history. The next week, Hall would tie his own record, winning the 2015 UNG Fall Invitational with another three round score of 202 (-14.) With eight career top-five finishes, Hall was named second-team All-SAC, was a 2016 Jack Nicklaus Award Semifinalist and was a 2016 PING All-American. Hall finished tied for 19^th at 2016 NCAA South/Southeast Regional.

One of two current eagle athletes on the all-decade team, Matthew George has been impressive in his career with the Carson-Newman swim team. The three-time All-BMC winner won the 2019 BMC Championship in the 500-yard freestyle and finished 13^th in the 500 yard freestyle at the 2019 National Championships. George currently holds school records in the male 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:37.76, the male 500 yard freestyle with a time of 4:26.26, the male 200 yard butterfly with a time of 1:48.55. and is a member of school record male 800 free relay team with Caleb Howell, Nikola Tadic and Raphael Lima with a time of 6:35.40. George is also the fourth fastest in school history in male 200 yard backstroke with a time of 1:47.62. and is third fastest in school history in the male 200 yard IM with a time of 1:50.42.

The other current eagle to make the all-decade team, Devon Moore has reset the Carson-Newman track & field record book. Moore is a four-time Indoor All-American and is a two-time Outdoor All-American. Moore was named 2019 SAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and 2020 SAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. He won the 2020 SAC Indoor Championships in the 60 meter and 200 meter runs and is an eight-time USTFCCCA All-Region member. Moore holds school records in the indoor 60 meter run with a time of 6.69 seconds, indoor 200 meter run with a time of 21.24 seconds, and the outdoor 100 meter run with a time of 10.12 seconds. He also holds the conference record in the outdoor 100 meter run.

Gavin Hay won the 2013 Tusculum Invitational with a score of 137 (-5), which tied for the eighth lowest 36-hole score in SAC men's golf history and was the second lowest two-round total in Carson-Newman men's golf history at the time. The three-time first-team All-SAC member competed in the 2012 NCAA South/Southeast Regional and was an All-Region selection in 2012.

Despite only competing for the eagles for just one season, Paul Ungur holds school records in the male 200-yard backstroke at 1:45.19 and in the male 50-yard backstroke at 21.50 seconds. Ungur still holds the second fastest time in male 100-yard backstroke at 47.02 seconds and in the male 50-yard freestyle at 20.25 seconds. He also holds the third fastest time in the male 100-yard butterfly at 48.59 seconds.

Kevin Snead will go down as one of the fastest eagle track and field athletes in history. The four-time All-American holds a school and conference record in outdoor men's 200 meter dash with a time of 20.75 seconds. Snead finished 2017 with the nation's fifth-fastest time in the 60 meter dash. Snead finished 10^th place in the 60 meter dash at the 2016 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships and finished 11^th place in the 60 meter dash at the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. Continuing the tradition of stellar dual sport athletes at Carson-Newman, Snead was awarded a rookie tryout with the NFL's New York Giants as a return specialist after returning 17 kicks for 419 yards and a touchdown his senior year as a member of the eagles' football team.

Jonathan Kim Moss started his career with a bang, being named the 2011 SAC Freshman of the Year. The three-time All-SAC Member was also named All-Region in 2012. That season, Moss took second place at 2012 TVA Credit Union Invite with scores of 71 (-1) and 69 (-3) and finished third at the 2012 Smoky Mountain Intercollegiate. Moss wrapped up the season finishing ninth at 2013 SAC Championship. Moss' determination and hard worked paid off his senior season, as he was a member of 2014 SAC Championship team.

Marcelo Figuereido was named All-BMC in 2017 competed in the 500 yard freestyle at the 2018 NCAA Championships. Figuereido holds school records in the male 1650 yard freestyle with a time of 15:37.90 and the male 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 9:17.23. He also holds the second fastest time in school history in the male 500 yard freestyle with a time of 4:26.26. Figuereido also excelled in the classroom as his 3.79 GPA his senior season was the highest in the nation in Division II swimming.

Kris Potts-Howard was named SAC Field Athlete of the Week twice in 2017 and competed in long jump and triple jump at 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He would follow up his stellar junior season by winning the 2018 SAC Athlete of the Year award. Potts-Howard holds the school record as member of the 4x400 relay team with a time of 3.24.73 and holds school and conference record in long jump with a distance of 7.26 meters.

Liam Ashby started off strong in his eagle career with two top-10 finishes as a freshman. Ashby would finish his career with nine tournament wins and is one of four Carson-Newman golfers to be a four-time All-Conference selection. The 2012 SAC Men's Golfer of the Year was also a 2012 NCAA DII South/Southeast Regional participant.

Stephen Parsons was a member of inaugural swim team at Carson-Newman. Parsons set the initial school records in the 100 yard freestyle (45.35) and was a member of four record-setting relay teams: 200 yard freestyle (21:22.42), 400 yard freestyle (3:03.38), 800 yard freestyle (6:55.86) and 400 yard medley relay (3:23.67). His initial record setting time in the 200 yard freestyle (1:39.66) is still the fifth fastest in school history and is still the fourth fastest in school history in 200 yard IM with a time of 1:50.84.

Before being named the current sprints coach and recruiting coordinator for the Carson-Newman track and field program, Kieran Showler-Davis was a two-time All-American and an All-Conference Selection in 2017. After finishing fourth in the 2016 SAC Championships in the 200 meter dash, Showler-Davis ended his career strong, winning the 2018 SAC Championship in the 100 meter dash.

Seth Hughes was a two-time Honorable Mention All-American and a two time All-BMC Honoree. Hughes currently holds second fastest time in school history in the male 50 yard backstroke at 21.68 seconds and third fastest time in school history in the male 100 yard backstroke at 47.47 seconds.

Jahvad McDermott was a two-time Indoor All-American and was a 2019 Outdoor All-American in triple jump. The 2019 SAC Indoor Athlete of the Meet was also a nine-time USTFCCCA All-Region member. The 2019 SAC outdoor and indoor triple jump champion holds the school record in the men's indoor triple jump with a distance of 15.08 meters.

Jake Headrick was a three-time All-SAC second team selection. With seven career top five finishes, Headrick finished fifth at 2016 SAC Championship and won the 2017 McDonough Cup with a score of 211 (-5). Headrick also competed in NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional four times.

Randall Freeman was All-Region in four events in 2015, leading to him being named the 2015 SAC Field Athlete of the Year. After he finished second in shotput at SAC Championships in 2014, Freeman won 2015 SAC Championships in the shot put and was named 2015 SAC Field Athlete of the Meet at the SAC Championships. Freeman was All-Academic in both track and football and holds the school record in men's indoor shot put with toss of 15.12 meters.